Infinite Stratos: An Academy Story
by D.M.Ash
Summary: With Ichika Orimura as the first male IS pilot, FRACTURE takes steps to ensure his protection. An agent stationed at ISA is selected to watch over him, but will that be enough? Events will set things in motion that no one will expect... AU of HotM
1. Straight Jet

**Disclaimer: Infinite Stratos and it's canon characters belong to Izuru Yumizuru. FRACTURE belongs to EthernalRain and is used with permission. **

Infinite Stratos – An Academy Story

Chapter 1 – Straight Jet

_March 29, 2020_

_IS Academy - office_

"Sir, are these orders really necessary?"

"If they weren't, they wouldn't have been issued, now would they?"

A young man rubbed his forehead with frustration, looking at the screen which had his superior officer on screen. "Alright, I'll repeat my orders just to make things clear; observe Ichika Orimura when he arrives at the IS Academy, and if necessary, be his bodyguard if targeted by unknown nations."

"That's correct Lieutenant Sr. Grade Seiei, and those will be your standing orders until further notice," Then the Commander's face relaxed a bit as he dropped the formalities. "Oh, one other thing you might want to know. Lindy woke up shortly after you left, and she's been asking about you."

"She is? That's a surprise," The man raised an eyebrow at the news, "Well, I'm sure that Major Timat is glad that she's awake at least. Please send her my regards."

"Will do son. Now I better prepare myself for the Professor. I know that she won't like it when-."

"*BANG* Commander, you have some explaining to do, NOW!"

"Oh shit, that's her right now, gotta go now Akira!"

The link closed with a click, and the man, Akira Seiei leaned back in his seat in his office with a sigh, "I wonder how that conversation is going to go…"

**[I****'****m sure that the commander is going to get a verbal lashing from the Professor this time.]** A voice that came from around Akira's neck spoke up.

"No need to state the obvious Vic, I'm pretty sure anyone can imagine what was going to happen next."

The man in the seat, Akira S. Seiei, had short black hair that covered his ears, and had a ponytail at the back that was tied by a thin rope, along with having green eyes. Right now, the man was an IS Mechanic for the IS Academy, but that was just a cover job, even though he was damn good at it. In reality, Akira was part of the Freedom ACTion Unity Redemption Elimination organization, or FRACTURE for short, acting as an agent inside the Academy. His original mission was to collect data from the Academy to send to FRACTURE over the course of a month, but as anyone could see, that has changed.

**[I know Boss, and I wish I was there to hear it.]** This was Invictus, nicknamed 'Vic' for short. A 'sentient' AI, it takes the form of a dark blue round jewel the size of a large marble that's around Akira's neck. It has its own personality, and can be a little snarky at times.

"I know you would Vic, I know you would…" Akira was about to get back to his deskwork when he heard a buzz at the door, and quickly slipped on his 'glasses'. "Who is it?"

"It's me Seiei-san." A serious female voice replied on the other side.

Akira relaxed as he turned around to greet his guest. "Ah, Orimura-sensei, please come in."

The door opened, revealing Chifuyu Orimura in her black work suit, holding a folder in her hands. "I thought that you were supposed be heading back to FRACTURE already, yet you haven't handed in your resignation. What happened?"

"It's your brother, that's what happened," When Chifuyu's eyes narrowed, Akira explained, "FRACTURE sent me new orders; to observe Ichika and be his undercover bodyguard if necessary until further notice."

Hearing that, Chifuyu furrowed her brow as she put the folder she had down on Akira's desk. "Ugh, another thing to worry about. Well, at the very least it's someone I know is doing it and not some stranger…"

"Uh huh, well that means that I'll be sticking around much longer, and that means I've been temporary promoted as head IS mechanic."

"Head IS mechanic? What happened to Takeda?"

"From what I've heard, she's taking a vacation in order to get over her embarrassing loss. She was the one that faced Ichika during the examination, though you gotta admit, KOing yourself by crashing head first into a wall is pretty funny."

"More like she got cocky and overconfident," Chifuyu let off a soft laugh before she folded her arms. "Are you going to congratulate me too?"

"For what? Ichika entering the Academy? FRACTURE cut back on my vacation and I was about to go get it back after this assignment was done, and now I'm being delayed getting it back. It's nice to see Ichika again, I must admit, but these aren't the very best circumstances, especially since the students are going to be looking at him like a piece of very delicious meat."

"Ain't that the truth… Anyway, I just came here to drop off some files; they're in the folder on your desk," Chifuyu turned to leave when she added, "Oh, and those glasses definitely don't suit you. They make you look like a dork."

"Hey, at least with these, the girls think I'm some nerdy female IS mechanic, and that's good enough for me. I came here to do my job, and having students swarm you just because you're a guy is counterproductive. And besides, the glasses were _her_ idea to ward them off."

"Heh, I can see that. Oh, and loosen up a bit, you look like a stressed up office worker, not a FRACTURE agent."

**[Look who****'****s talking Lady Orimura.]**

"And Invictus still has that snarky attitude. See you later Akira, and do try to talk to Ichika when he gets here, if you get the chance, okay?"

Akira just shook his head at the door before getting to work, though all he saw were IS maintenance reports in the folder, something that he was not looking forward too. In the end, all he gave was a sigh and got to work, wondering what tomorrow, the start of the new semester, would bring, "Well, at least it can't get any worse…"

A buzz came from the door and a voice called out to him, "Seiei-san? It's Hinomiya."

"Ha, come in Hinomiya-san."

The door opened and let in Azumi Hinomiya, a fellow IS mechanic whose personality can be comparable to Maya Yamada, who had dark green hair and brown eyes in a ISA mechanic uniform, and she held a thin stack of papers in her hands, "Um, here are the forms from the mechanics that filed for vacation leave…"

Akira had to bite his lip to prevent himself from freaking out, instead taking a deep breath and putting on a strained smile that didn't look very convincing. "Just put them on the desk Hinomiya-san."

"Okay Seiei-san…" Knowing that Akira's smile was fake, Azumi quickly put the papers on the desk before making herself scarce.

Rubbing his forehead, Akira got to work, but not before muttering, "When you get back Takeda-san, I'll be sure to have a surprise waiting for you as welcome back gift…"

* * *

><p><em>April 1, 2020<em>

_IS Academy __–__ Akira__'__s office/Class 1-1_

The next day, Akira was back in his office, but this time, had his computer on, which had a 'sound only' window on it, and coming from the computer was the clicking of shoes walking down a hallway. Then Chifuyu's voice came through asking, "Is it working properly?"

"Loud and clear Orimura-sensei, though I wish there was something to look at too…"

"Hold on a minute…" There was a moment of silence before a screen appeared, showing a hallway at head level. "There, does it work now?"

"What did you just do?"

"I have a small black camera clip in my hair that's also the microphone. It won't be noticed unless someone takes a good look."

"Okay then," Akira got himself comfortable as he watched the computer screen. "Hmm, I wonder how Ichika's handling himself now."

**[Better not get your hopes up Boss,]** Invictus chirped, **[If we know Ichika, I****'****m sure that he****'****s squirming from being in the spotlight.]**

Akira just snorted as he just sat back and watched what was happening. From what he could see, Chifuyu reached her destination, and the door opened, just in time to hear Ichika say, "Eh, my name is Orimura Ichika. Pleased to meet you."

Since everyone was focused on Ichika, no one noticed Chifuyu had entered the room. There was a beat before Ichika went on, "That's all!"

Everyone face faulted while Akira raised an eyebrow in amusement. "That's it?"

Chifuyu muttered something incomprehensible as she quickly walked over and whacked Ichika on the head with her fist. Akira suppressed a laugh as Ichika called out Chifuyu's name in surprise, earning another fist to the head. Invictus commented, **[You think she****'****s going to go for a third try?]**

"At school, it's Orimura-sensei." Chifuyu corrected Ichika, before turning her attention to Maya.

"Ah sensei, did the meeting end?"

"Yeah, it did Yamada-kun. I'm sorry for making you greet the class in my stead."

"That meeting was just plain agonizing…" Akira looked back on that meeting, and was lucky that he was allowed to leave early, since the topic was mainly about Ichika. Shaking his head, Akira turned his attention back to the screen, where he heard Chifuyu introduce herself.

"Folks, I am your homeroom teacher, Orimura Chifuyu. It's my job to completely train you in one year on how to pilot an IS, among other things."

The class erupted in an excited uproar, something that made Akira smirk in amusement, while Invictus commented, **[Sounds like something you would hear at a boy band concert.]**

"Chifuyu-sama, it's the real Chifuyu-sama!"

"I came all the way from Kitakyuushuu because I admired you Onee-sama!"

"I could die for Onee-sama!"

Chifuyu sighed in exasperation as she heard Akira biting back a laugh on her earpiece. "It's really quite a sight to see so many idiots gathered here every year, especially the freshmen. Are they all just coming to my class?"

"Onee-sama, please scold and abuse us more!"

"But be nice at times too!"

"And train us so that we don't act up!"

"Oh my gawd, this is some kinky fanclub you've got here Orimura-sensei!" Akira couldn't hold it back and started laughing at the class' antics.

"Shut up you," Chifuyu muttered through gritted teeth before turning her attention back to Ichika, putting her hands together menacingly. "So, you fail to even make a simple greeting?"

"No, Chifuyu-nee, I'm-!"

In a flash, Chifuyu had slammed Ichika's head onto his desk as she repeated to him, "Call me Orimura-sensei."

**[Let****'****s just hope the third time****'****s the charm,]** Invictus spoke up, **[But knowing Ichika, Lady Orimura****'****s gonna have to hit his head a few more times to let it sink in.]**

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea…" Chifuyu muttered to herself she removed her hand from Ichika's head, heading back to the front of the class.

The chatter started to build up again, until Chifuyu shouted out, "Be quiet! I'll have every one of you memorize the basics of IS within six months. After that, it's hands-on. You should let the basic maneuvers sink into your body within half a month. Got it? If you're okay with it, answer me. Even if you aren't, still answer me."

"Yes!"

"Wow, you can really get a class' attention Orimura-sensei," Akira commented, looking impressed. "Though the fangirl attitude is a bit disturbing…"

"Tell me about it…" Chifuyu muttered, covering her mouth to hide her talking. When Chifuyu motioned to Maya to start the introduction on IS, Chifuyu turned away from the class and whispered from the corner of her mouth. "So, what are your thoughts?"

"Thoughts? Honestly Orimura-sensei, I'm not sure what FRACTURE's worried about. Ichika looks like a clueless mook thrown into surprising circumstances. Nothing will happen now, but maybe something will change down the line…" Akira replied, "Oh yeah, please tell the students to be careful with the training ISes, since our maintenance capacity was just cut in half."

"Will do," Chifuyu whispered. When Maya finished her introduction, Chifuyu coughed to catch everyone's attention and said, "I almost forgot. When handling the training ISes, please make sure not to get them unnecessarily damaged. For some reason, half our IS maintenance crew decided to take a vacation, the Head Mechanic among them. Our temporary head and rest of the crew are already swamped in work, so please don't make their jobs any harder."

As the class acknowledged Chifuyu's word, Akira spoke up through the earpiece, "Thank you for that Chifuyu-san. I think I've seen enough, so you can cut the feed now. I'll just head to the rooftop for some fresh air and an open place to work…"

The line went dead after that, and Chifuyu just crossed her arms as Maya went on with class until the bell rang, signaling the end of first period.

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy - rooftop<em>

Up on the rooftop, Akira was busy with the data for the Uchigane Flight Enhanced and was busy putting the data for the plans when he heard the door open and both Ichika and Houki Shinonono walked out. Since Akira was on top of the part of the roof that had the exit, they didn't see him, but he did notice them. Akira's eyes narrowed on Houki for a moment before he shook his head and went back to work.

The two caught up for a bit until the bell rang, and Ichika called to Houki to follow him back to class. That's when Ichika noticed Akira, but didn't recognize him due to the glasses. Akira had put earplugs into his ears so that he wouldn't be distracted and was facing away from Ichika, so that he only saw the side of his face.

"Who is that?" Ichika squinted to get a clearer picture, but that didn't help any so he tried calling out, "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Ichika?" Houki looked in the direction Ichika was looking at, and saw Akira, "That's…an IS Academy maintenance uniform. She must be part of the maintenance crew."

"Maintenance crew?"

"Yeah, and it looks like she's really busy too, if those screens are any indication. We'd better leave her alone for now Ichika. Let's head back to class."

"Okay…" Ichika took one last look at Akira before muttering, "I swear that she looks familiar though…"

When Ichika and Houki left, Akira looked at the spot where the two of them once stood, "Well, Ichika's still the same as ever… So that's Houki Shinonono huh? Hard to believe she's her sister…"

**[No kidding boss, they don****'****t even look related to each other] **Invictus added, **[Not to mention their personalities are totally the opposite of each other.]**

"That last one's to be expected Vic; you know that she has a…eccentric personality. Not sure if there's anyone else like her in the world."

**[If there was, then the Earth****'****s doomed already.]**

"Hey, she's not that bad," Akira closed the window that had the Uchigane Flight Enhanced data after saving his work. "She just tends to overdo things."

**[Yeah, if introducing Infinite Stratos to the world is anything to go by…]**

"Ugh, just shut up and help me with sorting these files."

**[Roger that bossman.]**

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy <em>_–__ class 1-1_

"Sensei, I barely understand any of this!"

Ichika was having a hard time following the lecture that came afterwards, and it was no surprise, having thrown away the reference book Chifuyu gave him, thinking it was an old telephone book. Unfortunately for him, that topic would soon come up after Maya asked the class if anyone else didn't understand, which was met with a resounding silence…

"Orimura, did you read the reference book before entering the school?" Chifuyu looked skeptical, as if she was guessing what Ichika's answer would be.

"Ah…was it that really thick one?"

"Yes, and the words 'compulsory to read' were printed on the cover."

"Well…I mistook it for the phone book and threw it away-ack!"

Chifuyu just whacked Ichika on the head with her book as she suppressed a sigh, "I'll issue you another copy later. Memorize it within one week, got it?"

Ichika didn't like the sound of that as he tried to bargain, "Uhh…within one week, that thickness is a little…"

Turning around to look at her little brother, Chifuyu had a glint in her eye as she laid it down, "I'm telling you to do it."

Ichika knew that arguing with her was useless, and eventually caved in, "Yes…I'll do it."

That's when Chifuyu had a sudden though and added, "Well, since you're so far behind, I'll issue you a tutor Orimura. I have just the person in mind."

"A tutor?" Ichika wondered what that was about, but Chifuyu just motioned to Maya to continue teaching before she folded her arms. 'I wonder who Chifuyu-nee knows that would tutor me? Probably a staff member…'

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy <em>_–__ Akira__'__s office_

"Achoo!"

Akira shook off the sneeze he had as he managed to finish the plans for the Uchigane Flight Enhanced. Now he wondered, "Hmm, who the heck am I going to get to test pilot this thing anyway?"

**[Wonder about that when you actually finish the thing Boss.]** Invictus chirped.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll just take a break in the meantime…"

Time passed as Akira lounged in his chair listening to music until the bell rang to signal the start of recess. Soon after, there was a knock at the door and Chifuyu's voice came through. "Oi Seiei, are you there?"

Turning down the music, Akira replied, "Yes, what is it?"

Chifuyu entered, and noticed the lax state Akira was in. "A few days in as Head Mechanic, and you're already slacking off."

"I was just taking a break Orimura-sensei," Akira sat up straight, turning his full attention onto Chifuyu. "I just finished fine tuning the plans for the Uchigane Flight Enhanced you know. Anyway is there something you needed?"

"Yes, I need you to tutor Ichika in IS terminology. That idiot threw away his reference book thinking it was an old telephone book."

"Pfft, are you serious?" When Chifuyu gave him a hard look, Akira cleared his throat. "Alright I'll do it, though he is going to be surprised when he sees me though."

"I don't care, as long as you get him up to speed. It's embarrassing to see that he's behind because of some stupid reason…" That's when Chifuyu grabbed a pen and wrote something down on a piece of paper before giving it to Akira. "That's the room he's staying in, so stop by to give him the news, alright?"

"Yes Orimura-sensei."

Chifuyu nodded as she turned to leave, leaving Akira by himself, "Ara ara, more work added to the table, but since this is for Ichika…"

**[Want me to help boss?]**

"No Vic," Akira shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even though Ichika knows about you, I'm supposed to keep you a secret. You are a semi 'sentient' AI after all…"

**[True, true, but I can disguise my voice to sound like him.]**

"No, I'll bring you out only if the entire mechanic crew is swamped in work." Akira put his foot down and Invictus fell silent. He went over to pick up the paper Chifuyu left him and read, "Room 1025 huh? The boy is going to be living in a girls' dorm…"

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy <em>_–__ 1st Year Dorms_

"Room 1025, room 1025…" Akira muttered to himself as he walked down the hall, looking at the numbers of each door.

Having entered the first year dormitory with Chifuyu's permission, Akira was busy looking for the room Ichika was staying in, passing by the girls who looked at him curiously. Being first years, they didn't know who Akira was, though then again, a very large number of second and third year students don't know who Akira was.

"Hey, who is that girl?"

"I'm not sure, but that's an ISA mechanic uniform isn't it?"

"Hmm, I think that's the Head Mechanic due to the insignia on her shoulder. I think her name was Seiei…Akira-sensei, right?"

"What's with those glasses though? They don't look cute in the slightest."

"Maybe she's shy. She does look like the type."

Akira didn't know whether to be grateful or angry overhearing the whispers of the girls. On one hand, pretty much every student and teacher that saw him in his uniform and glasses assumed that he was a flat-chested girl that was shy, and it allowed him to pass by in peace, if the ruckus caused over Ichika was any indication. On the other hand, even without the getup, every stranger that he met assumed that he was a girl due to his hairstyle and looks. He admitted that having a hairstyle that looked like Makoto Kikuchi's from Idolmaster 2 with a short ponytail at the back was feminine, but _she_ absolutely loved it and demanded that he kept it that way. He suppressed a sigh and kept on walking, thinking that Invictus would have a field day with him later about the whispers.

Eventually he managed to reach room 1025, and the first thing he noticed was the holes in the door, 'What the hell happened here? It looks like someone tried stabbing the door with a lot of force or something…oh God, what if Ichika's hurt?'

Akira quickly knocked on the door and a female voice answered, "I'm coming, just hold on a minute."

Hearing the voice made the mechanic raise an eyebrow, 'Ichika's living with a girl?'

The door opened to reveal Houki Shinonono with her hair down, and the girl was surprised to see Akira, recognizing the uniform. "Uh, is there something the matter, um…?"

"Seiei Akira," Akira introduced himself, "Is Orimura Ichika in? I have something I need to talk to him about."

"Uh, yes he is, but um…" Houki was fidgeting, making Akira think that she was hiding something. "Sleeping right now. Yes, he's sleeping right now."

Seeing Houki nod a bit nervously made Akira more suspicious, but he let it slide for now as he took out a pen and pad and started writing something down. He then tore the note off the pad and folded it, giving it to Houki. "Please give this to him when he wakes up, and please don't read it. It's for his eyes only."

"I-I understand Seiei-sensei."

Houki was about to reach for the doorknob when Akira asked, "By the way, what happened to the door?"

"Eh? Uh…well…there was a-an…accident with, uh, a bokken…"

Looking over Houki's shoulder, Akira could see a bokken leaning on the desk, and Akira shrugged, "Okay then, I'll have the door replaced by tomorrow, okay?"

"T-thank you Seiei-sensei." Houki gave a bow in thanks hearing that.

"No problem, and good night, um…"

"Shinonono Houki."

Akira froze right there for a second in shock, due to the fact that Houki had her hair down which made her unrecognizable to him at first, before he managed to say, "Good night Shinonono-san."

"Good night Seiei-sensei."

When the door closed, Akira stood there for a few seconds before he started to make his way out of the dorms. When he was outside he finally said, "Ha, so that's _her_ sister up close huh? Sure left me surprised…"

**[No kidding boss,]** Invictus spoke up, **[She****'****s really is the total opposite of the Professor from what I saw.]**

"Yeah well, as long as Ichika gets the note, it really doesn't matter to me who she is to be honest…"

**[Hey, but you gotta admit, she is pretty hot.]**

"…Shut up Vic."

* * *

><p><em>April 2, 2020<em>

_IS Academy __–__ IS hangar_

Akira was busy looking over a disassembled Uchigane that was going to be rebuilt as an Uchigane Flight Enhanced when he overheard the mechanics talking excitedly amongst themselves. Looking over to Azumi, who was beside him looking over the parts, he asked, "Hey Hinomiya-san, what's everyone talking about this morning?"

Azumi looked surprised for some reason as she replied, "You haven't heard Seiei-san?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you now would I?"

Wincing at the flat tone Akira was using, Azumi told him, "Apparently, earlier this morning, Class 1-1's Orimura Ichika challenged England's IS Representative Candidate Cecilia Alcott to a fight to determine who would be their Class Representative. From what I hear, it's hot gossip, despite it happening first period. I'm sure that the entire school will know about it by lunch time."

"Huh, really…" Akira was about to go back to work when he asked, "What's the name of the England Representative Candidate again?"

"Cecilia Alcott," Azumi replied, "From what I've heard, she's one of those 'Ojou-sama' types, though she does have a personal IS, Blue Tears, I think it's called."

"I see…" However, in Akira's mind a thought was running along, 'Cecilia Alcott? I wonder if she's related to Lindy…she did say that she doesn't know if she has any living relatives last I heard. Maybe it's just a coincidence…'

A sigh escaped Akira's lips, making Azumi look at him with a hint of concern, "Is everything alright Seiei-san?"

"I'm fine, just thinking how much work the Uchigane Flight Enhanced will take." Akira said, which Azumi bought, while inside the head mechanic thought, 'Wow Ichika, the second day here and you already have gotten yourself into a predicament…'

* * *

><p><strong>Notes: Well, here's another Infinite Stratos Story, and the second one that's an AU of Heart of the Machine. If you've read EthernalRain's story, you'll pretty much recognize a couple of names. Akira Seiei, Lindy Alcott, and Selvaria Timat are of my creation, and are used with permission in his story. Just to note, Akira S. Seiei is the original name, and Ethernal Rain just...tweaked it so it's Seisei in his story, so it isn't wrong. Other than that, I hope you readers enjoy this story, and throw a review if you have something to say. <strong>


	2. Preparation

Chapter 2 – Preparation

_April 2, 2020_

_IS Academy – rooftop_

Lunchtime came, but Ichika wasn't heading to the cafeteria to eat. Instead, he was heading up to the rooftop to meet with Akira, due to the note he left behind. Behind him was Houki, who was actually curious as to where Ichika was going, but was trying to hide it behind a frown. The note did say to not bring a crowd with him, but he did wonder why Houki was following him.

"Houki, shouldn't you be heading to the cafeteria instead?"

"Hmph, I'm just following you just in case you do something stupid!"

That rather snappish response from Houki made Ichika sigh. 'Houki's still mad, isn't she? Still, she really doesn't need to follow me, so why is she? Anyway, it's surprising that Akira's actually at the Academy; I thought he was doing FRACTURE business when he left back in January, not to mention the note saying to not say anything about him being male too…I wonder what that's all about?'

The two made their way up the stairs to the school roof, and Ichika looked behind Houki to make sure they weren't being followed by curious students, which made the girl ask, "What are you looking at?"

"Just checking if we were followed, that's all," Ichika replied, before he opened the door to the roof. "I'd like some privacy when we talk…"

Houki raised an eyebrow as the two walked through the door. When it closed, it automatically locked, and those who were tailing him found that they weren't able to follow, and gave up rather quickly, not wanting to blow their cover trying to get the door open.

On the rooftop, Ichika looked around, and saw Akira sitting by the holograph display in the middle of the roof. As his back was towards them, Ichika called out, "Hey Akira, is that you?"

As Houki raised an eyebrow at the blatant familiarity, Akira looked up and around as Ichika saw that Akira was the person he saw yesterday. Standing up the mechanic took off his glasses as he looked amused. "No need to shout Ichika, I haven't gone deaf yet."

Seeing how different Akira looked without the glasses surprised Houki, and in a deep part of her subconscious, the thought of another rival popped up. Meanwhile, Akira noticed the younger Shinonono and spoke up. "I see Shinono...no-san is here too, good thing I expected something like this…"

"Eh? You know Houki?"

"Of course, how else you got the note?" Akira gave a sigh as he pulled up a number of bentos wrapped in a cloth. "Come on, I've prepared lunch for us, so let's sit down and talk."

The three of them went over and sat down on the grass that was growing on the roof as Akira laid out the food while he spoke, "So, it's been a while since we last seen each other, hasn't it Ichika?"

"Yeah, though it was only three months ago I saw you last," Ichika replied as he and Houki looked at the food with interest. "What have you been up to these days."

"Nothing interesting, I admit," Akira, Ichika, and Houki started digging in. "I've been assigned as ISA's mechanic about two months ago, and it's been hard work."

Before Ichika could ask another question, Houki spoke up, "Ichika, how exactly do you know Seiei-sensei?"

"Seiei-sensei?" Ichika found the title to be a bit weird on Akira, but he answered Houki's question nonetheless. "Ah, Akira and I met back in February last year."

"More like he found me on the streets," Akira muttered, before shaking his head and turning the conversation around as they dug into the food. "Anyway, what about you two? I see that the two of you know each other also."

"Ah, that's because Houki is a childhood friend of mine," Ichika took a bite of his food and ate it before going on, "But I haven't seen her in six years, so it was a surprise to see her here at the Academy, as well as you Akira."

"Really…" Akira took a look at Houki, and she just bowed her head as she ate. 'Hmm, six years huh? That's around the time Infinite Stratos was officially introduced after the First Conflict was squashed with FRACTURE's help…'

The three ate in silence and about ten minutes later, they were done with lunch, with Ichika commenting, "Wow, your cooking's good as ever Akira."

"Actually, this is something the cafeteria staff came up with. I ordered it this morning, and they sure do know how to make a good meal. It's a mechanic's privilege to be able to order take-out from them, since we tend to be busy at times. I know Takeda used to order out a lot, and now I know why…"

"I see, thank you for the meal…" Houki bowed her head to Akira politely, while inside she couldn't help but start comparing herself to Akira. If the man in question knew about that, he would've told her to not think about it.

After cleaning up the boxes, Akira went onto the main topic. "Okay Ichika, now for the reason I called you up here. Apparently Chifuyu asked me to tutor you in technical IS information, since she said that you, well, don't have a clue what is being taught to you."

"Chifuyu-nee did?" Ichika was surprised, as well as Houki as she looked between him and Akira. "She said that she would get me a tutor, but I didn't think it would be you!"

"Me neither," Akira got up and stretched, followed by the other two. "I would've done this yesterday, but when I got to your room, Shinonono-san told me that you turned in for the night already."

Ichika winced hearing that, though Akira didn't have a clue why as the boy shrugged it off. "I see… By the way, will Invictus be helping too?"

**[Of course Ichika, I will be able to cover for Akira in the case work piles up.]** Invictus chirped.

Houki jumped in surprise as Akira winced and hissed, "Vic!"

**[Ah, sorry boss, it was instinctive to respond to Ichika's question.]**

"W-what?-! W-where is that voice co-coming from?-!" Houki stood up looking at Akira with a mix of suspiciousness and surprise. She knew that Invictus' voice came from Akira, but it sounded rather electronic.

"Ugh, at least it's only one person…" Akira reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out Invictus, "Shinonono-san, this is Invictus, my Inte-, uh, I mean, the 'Sentient' AI developed by FRACTURE's technological R&D division."

**[It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Shinonono.]** Invictus greeted.

Houki looked at the blue orb for a while before saying, "I-I see…a 'Sentient' AI… That makes sense," Considering Infinite Stratos has been around for about a decade, a talking AI isn't as surprising as it should be as Houki calmed down. "Wait, did you say that Invictus-san was developed by FRACTURE?"

"Yeah…pretty much…" Akira figured that he might as well explain to Houki, and Ichika by extension. "I'm a member of FRACTURE okay? I was sent here to the Academy to observe in order to, well, improve relations between ISA and FRACTURE. It was only supposed to be a one-month job, but something happened and as a result, I'm still here, thanks to Ichika."

"Eh? Me?" Ichika blinked in surprised at Akira's words.

"Uh huh, the higher ups ordered me to keep an eye on you for some reason, they're curious about the whole 'first male IS pilot' I guess," Akira left out the fact that he was his undercover bodyguard too, along with other things, but he figured that it was enough to satisfy them. "Well, now you two know, so I suppose you can keep this a secret Shinonono-san?"

"Eh? Ah, yes, yes of course I can Seiei-sensei," Houki gave a bow in confirmation, and the look she had on her face told Akira that she would abide by it. However, she then noticed something and looked at Ichika. "Wait, you already know Ichika?"

"Yeah…I found out a few months after we met actually," Ichika scratched the back of his head as he gave a weak smile. "It was a…special circumstance."

Akira rubbed his left arm subconsciously hearing that, while Houki narrowed her eyes seeing Ichika withholding information from her. However, she let it slide as she folded her arms. "Hmm, fine then."

"Well then, now that's covered," Akira stuffed Invictus back down his shirt and straightened it out. "What time should I drop by your room?"

"Let's see, sometime after dinner should be good," Ichika turned to Houki. "Houki, is that okay with you?"

"…It's fine by me, I have something to do anyway." Houki replied, just as the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

"You two better get to class, you don't want to know what Chifuyu does to late comers," Akira saw the looks the two students gave him and added, "Believe me, I've seen it, and it isn't pretty, mental-wise."

Ichika and Houki looked at each other as they mentally agreed not to find out, and the two headed for the entrance as the door unlocked itself. As Akira watched them go, he asked, "You've fiddled with the lock, didn't you Vic?"

**[Of course. You did want privacy, didn't you?]**

"True…well, I'd better get back to my office and prepare to teach…"

**[What's wrong? You've taught before.]**

"Yeah, but that was stuff like combat. I've never taught anyone IS mechanics before."

**[Yes, there's a first time for everything, huh boss?]**

"Ugh, I guess so…"

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy – First Year Dorms, room 1025<em>

"So, before we get started on this tutoring thing, what can you tell me about Infinite Stratos from the top of your head?"

It was a bit after dinner, and both Akira and Ichika were back in Ichika's dorm room, with Ichika sitting at the desk and Akira leaning on the side of it. Akira rubbed his forehead as thoughts of the other students whisperings came back to him, the most prominent one was that they assumed that Akira was going to have a hot steamy love affair with Ichika, something that made him twitch very badly and he had to enforce what little military discipline he had in order to not snap at them. Ichika just shivered with a hint of disgust hearing that, though for some reason, it made the girls shut up and move on as they passed.

"Um, let's see…" Ichika started, "Infinite Stratos was introduced ten years ago, though it was officially recognized six years ago, and only women can pilot them, with the exception of me for some reason."

There was a moment of silence before Akira fished, "Anything else?"

"…Sorry, that's all I really know, to be honest." Ichika replied as he gave a sheepish look.

A sigh escaped Akira's lips as he looked at the reference book, "I guess that can't be helped. Most students here have had a head start due to actually choosing this school. What you just said is pretty much common knowledge that anyone would know by now, unless they've been living in isolation for the past decades or so…"

Ichika let out a breath of relief that he didn't realize he was holding as Akira gave him a brief introduction to Infinite Stratos that anyone could understand before getting into the reference book. During that time, Ichika couldn't help but wonder, 'When did Akira become an expert in IS? Then again, I really don't know that much about him despite having known him for a year…'

By the time Houki came back, Ichika and Akira were still only half-way through the introduction, as it was a bit long, and Akira had to explain terms from time to time. They were so focused, that the only way they even noticed her entering was when she said, "Ah, I'm home…"

"Ah, welcome back Houki."

"Welcome back Shinononono…no, Shinono-san…wait…" At that point, Akira had to hold out his hand to count, looking flustered. "Shi-no-no-no-san. Ugh, sorry about that, I tend to get that name confused when I'm focused on something else…"

"Uh, it's okay Seiei-sensei." It didn't show on her face, but Houki found it a bit amusing to see Akira struggle with her last name for some reason.

"Don't worry Akira," Ichika smirked, "I had the same problem too in the beginning."

"…Ugh, whatever…" Akira shook his head as he pointed at the reference book. "Let's just keep going. I'd like to get us past the introduction by tonight."

Time passed, and Akira managed to get Ichika out of the room by the time Houki was finished with her shower, using the excuse of getting a drink. By the time they got back, Houki was already in her sleeping robe and Ichika looked a bit tired as he drunk the water bottle he had. Akira took a sip of his own water bottle before going on, "-and that's why there aren't many ISes designed for water submersion, let alone combat."

"Uh huh…" Ichika was only paying half attention as he walked back to his seat, sitting at his desk.

Akira was about to go back to tutoring when Houki suddenly asked, "Um, do you mind if I sit in on your tutoring sensei?"

"Uh, sure, but all were doing is going over the introduction of the reference book," Akira replied, "I'm sure you already know most of it."

As Akira turned to Ichika, he failed to notice the fidgeting that Houki did when he spoke his last line. As Tabane's sister, she did know about Infinite Stratos during the first four years before the Alaska Treaty was formed after the First Conflict, but didn't understand the technical aspects as she was still young at the time. Listening to Akira's tutoring helped clear up a bit of understanding, and she considered asking Akira to tutor her too, but her pride crushed that pretty quickly, since she didn't want to look bad in front of Ichika.

Soon, the tutoring ended, with Akira looking tired and Ichika looking like he was about to have a headache. Stretching, Akira said, "Well, at least we're past the introduction. If this keeps up, we'll be finished by the deadline…"

"Ugh, that was murder…" Ichika moaned as he rubbed his shoulders. 'Who knew IS could be that complicated…?'

Houki was silent, still trying to process parts of Akira's lecture that she learned, and applied it to her own basic knowledge. Grabbing his water bottle, Akira headed towards the door, but not before saying, "Well, I'll see the two of you later Ichika, Shinonono…san."

"Yeah, see you later Akira."

Only when the door closed did Houki notice that Akira left already, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Eh? Did sensei leave already?"

"Uh huh," Ichika stretched before getting up and heading towards his bed. "I'm going to sleep, that was exhausting…"

Houki nodded in agreement, and the two went off to bed. However, before they fell asleep, a sudden voice that sounded like Ichika popped up. **[Houki, shouldn't you be sleeping in your own bed?]**

Both tenants' eyes popped open like popcorn as another voice sounding like Houki spoke up, **[Sorry Ichika, I just feel a bit cold tonight… So, just for tonight, please…]**

The lights quickly turned on, and both Ichika and Houki saw that they were in their own beds. Both teens had blushes on their faces, but those lightened when they saw that they were definitely in their own beds. That's when they heard Ichika's voice say, **[Haa…I guess it wouldn't be a problem Houki…just don't get too grabby, okay?]**

Locating the source of the voices, Ichika saw that the on light of his computer monitor was blinking, and wondered when it was turned on. When he turned on the monitor, he saw a media player that finished a recording and there was a big grinning smiley right beside it with a speech bubble saying, 'U MAD?'

Giving a sigh, Ichika closed everything and shut down the computer before heading back to his bed. Houki was still a bit pink but she managed to ask, "What was that all about?"

"Akira's idea of a joke, thanks to Invictus."

"Invictus?"

"Yeah, that AI has hacking and voice modification abilities, if I remember it correctly. I still remember the time Invictus mimicked Chifuyu-nee's voice…" Ichika suddenly gave a shiver before crawling into bed. "Let's just get some sleep."

"Okay…" Houki was a bit startled by the revelation, and it did drop her opinion of Akira by a few points, but that would change in time.

* * *

><p><em>April 3, 2020<em>

_IS Academy – Akira's office_

First thing in the morning, after cleaning himself up and having breakfast, Akira's first line of business was to head straight for his office to check for incoming messages and files. This was something that he was still getting used too, as temporary head mechanic, and he remembered all too well of some of the complaints Takeda made about overflowing messages. Still he had to wonder about some of them; he seriously doubted the head mechanic would get over three hundred messages overnight unless they were spam.

Turning on the computer, the first thing that Akira saw when he accessed his messages was the one on top labelled 'Important: Orimura Ichika Personal IS'.

"Personal IS…? Wonder if it's related to that duel he has with Alcott-san…" Opening the message, he read what was on it as he rubbed his eye. "Let's see, ISA commissioned a personal IS be built for data gathering purposes…I will be overseeing final adjustments when it arrives due to the sudden request, that's gonna be painful…head developer is…Haruhi Arisawa…?"

In a nutshell, Haruhi Arisawa was one of the four college students that Tabane had picked to help her with creating IS when she was a student herself. Haruhi's genius was second only to Tabane's yet she had more common sense. Akira met her awhile back, but it's been a long time since then, and the only thing he knew was that Haruhi was 'on loan' to the ISA Committee from FRACTURE as a consultant, and temporary head of the Kuramoto Research Institute to boot.

"The Committee knows about Professor Arisawa's knowledge concerning IS, so it's not surprising now that I think about it. Hmm…I wonder what kind of IS is going to be made for Ichika then…"

Looking through the other messages, they were mostly maintenance reports, though one of them mentioned a check up on Blue Tears in preparation for the duel, which was scheduled for the thirteenth, and he went through his scheduler to check. "Oh boy, the only time I could possibly do this would be on Sunday…"

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy – cafeteria<em>

Lunch came around, with Ichika and Houki eating together alone, the latter still a bit miffed about what happened in class earlier due to the mention of Tabane. It left a moment of silence between the two as they ate, until Ichika asked, "Hey Houki, can you tutor me in IS piloting? At this rate I won't be able to put up a decent fight, and I'll lose to Cecilia quickly."

"That's because you fell for those senseless provocations," Houki replied with a frown. "And don't you already have Seiei-sensei tutoring you? Why not ask her?"

"Akira can only teach me the technical aspects of IS. He can't pilot one, so he wouldn't know what to do, which is why I'm asking you, please!"

Houki raised an eyebrow at Ichika's lowered voice and was about to take another bite of her lunch, when she noticed something he said. "Wait… 'He'…?"

A wince came from Ichika when he realized that he said something he shouldn't have. He was about to say something when a voice suddenly spoke up from behind.

"Hey, aren't you that rumoured boy?"

Ichika and Houki looked up to find a third-year student with short, light-brown hair looking at them, mostly at Ichika with interest. When she saw that she had their attention she went on, "I heard that you challenged England's Representative Candidate, but you're an amateur, right?" She then leaned forward slightly and offered, "If it's about IS, do you want me to teach you?"

"No, thank you. Since I will be teaching him."

Houki's interruption surprised Ichika, while the senior looked a bit shaken at the declaration before she tried to regain control. "You're a freshman too, right? I'm a senior, so I think I'd be a better tutor due to experience."

Not planning on backing down, Houki shot back, "I am Shinonono Tabane's younger sister, so there's no need. Also, Seiei-sensei is tutoring him, but due to her busy schedule as an ISA mechanic, she can't be in every night, so I agreed to pick up some of the responsibility."

All Ichika could do was blink at Houki as she took a sip of her miso soup, while the senior saw that she was beaten, especially since a faculty member was involved. "I-Is that so…? Then I guess there's nothing to be done about it…"

As the senior walked away, Ichika turned to Houki, still having a slightly surprised look on his face. "You're willing to teach me?"

"Yes, I am, but first, why did you refer Seiei-sensei as a 'he'?"

The wince on Ichika's face was back as Houki stared at him, making him feel like she was trying to burn a hole in his head. 'Ah, sorry about this Akira, but I'm sure Houki can keep this a secret…'

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy – Akira's office<em>

After getting Akira's location from Chifuyu, which in Ichika's opinion felt like a scary experience for some reason (even Houki cringed a bit when they saw her eyes flash on them), Ichika and Houki went on their way towards Akira's office after classes ended for one reason. Houki had a hard time believing that Akira was a guy and wanted to hear it from the man himself. Ichika just followed, knowing Houki was in one of her stubborn streaks, though he really couldn't blame her; he mistook Akira for a girl too when they first met, and his name didn't help either.

Soon enough, the two ended up in front of the entrance to Akira's office, and behind the door they could hear movement, which confirmed that Akira was in. Ichika and Houki looked at each other for a moment before the latter nodded, prompting Ichika to knock on the door.

"…Who is it?"

"It's me Akira, and Houki's with me."

"Hold on a minute…okay, come in."

Opening the door, Ichika walked in with Houki behind him, only for the two to be treated to the sight of Akira's desk littered with paperwork and multiple monitors on with numerous windows open, and sitting in his seat was Akira looking a bit tired, but greeted them in his usual voice. "Ah, Ichika, Shinono…no-san, what can I do for you two?"

Before Ichika could open his mouth, Houki went straight to the point of the visit. "Seiei-sensei, is it true that you're a guy?"

Akira raised an eyebrow, but calmly replied, "Yes, I'm a guy." He looked at both of his visitors as he sighed, "I take it you accidentally said something Ichika?"

"Sorry Akira, I kind of said something when I asked Houki to tutor me in IS piloting."

"…IS piloting huh…? Can't say I don't approve, but what would you be doing to teach him Shinonono-san?"

"Um, well, I'm planning to take Ichika to the dojo first, since I want to see how well he has been keeping up his swordsmanship."

Ichika gulped at that, but had a look of relief in his eyes about something, while Akira looked at Houki with interest. "Really now…? Do you mind if I tag along Shinonono-san? I want to watch."

Houki looked taken aback for a moment and the words just flew out of her mouth. "Um, okay Seiei-sensei."

"Okay then, just let me clean up here and we'll be on our way…"

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy - Dojo<em>

*THWACK*

"Eeii!"

"Ack!"

*THUD*

Akira, along with three other classmates, watched the sparring match between Ichika and Houki with interest, and the result was that Ichika lost, but he was down on one knee panting, while Houki held her shinai with both hands, also panting. She also had a satisfied look on her face as she looked at him with an approving eye.

"I see that you haven't, ha, slacked off Ichika, ha. That's good…ha…"

"Ha…to be honest, ha, I only got back into the practice, ha, about a year ago, ha, due to Akira, ha…"

Everyone looked at Akira, who just shrugged. "A few things happened, and eventually Orimura-sensei asked me to get him back into the practice, and I agreed. I'm glad that you haven't slacked off after I left Ichika."

The three students were whispering to themselves, probably wondering what Akira's relationship to Ichika is, but the older man ignored them as he helped Ichika up. Houki was busy looking at Akira like she was trying to figure out something as she asked, "You know kendo, sensei?"

"I know how to wield a blade proficiently, Shinonono-san."

"…And he can be brutal too…" Ichika muttered as he caught his breath.

"Please, so it hurt the first few times, it's not like you were gonna die."

"…That's exactly how it felt like."

Houki wasn't listening to the banter as she eyed Akira with a measuring look. "Excuse me sensei, but can we spar someday please?"

Akira actually blinked at that before he gave it some thought. "Of course, Shinonono-san. Why don't you two get cleaned up for now, and then we'll discuss a schedule later?"

Both Ichika and Houki nodded as they headed off to the change room and showers. Meanwhile, Akira turned to the three students who tagged along and asked, "Please keep what you heard to yourselves ladies, because I don't think Orimura-sensei would like to hear her about her family life being reduced to rumors, and to think what happened to the last student who tried that…brr…"

The three students nodded a bit too frantically for his taste as they ran off. Inwardly, Akira smirked, finding it amusing to believe that the students actually fell for the bluff, but he wasn't so sure if it really was a bluff, considering the rumors of Chifuyu's punishments…

* * *

><p><em>IS Academy – Change Room<em>

Changing by herself, Houki felt really pleased by today's spar, and she was smiling the whole time. A part of her admitted that she was worried that Ichika's skills had degraded during the time they were separated, and they had, just not by a large gap. Still, the spar they had was one of the more invigorating ones she had in a long time, something she felt pleased about.

"Still, was Ichika giving his all during the spar?" A frown appeared on Houki's face as the memory came back to her. "It kind of felt like he was holding back a bit, but why?"

Houki shook her head of that thought as she looked forward. "No, he definitely tried hard, having a look of determination in his eyes. At least he's kept in practice, though he said that he only got back into the practice a year ago…just what happened?"

There was a moment of silence before Houki pondered, "Six years. Just what happened during those six years I haven't seen him?"

A thin smile crossed her face as she remembered past memories, before coughing and finished changing into her uniform. "Still, I better hurry back to the dorms, so Sensei and I can come up with a proper schedule for him."

Nodding to herself, Houki closed her locker and headed back to her dorm room. She blushed at the thought that she and Ichika would be spending time together during the spars, but shook it off as she tried to keep her thoughts straight.

* * *

><p><em>April 12, 2020<em>

_IS Academy – IS Hangar_

"Has the IS…uh…"

"Byakushiki, Seiei-san."

"Right Hinomiya-san. Has Byakushiki arrived yet?"

"It should be arriving within the hour, Seiei-san."

"I still can't believe how late they're bringing it. The match is tomorrow and Ichika still hasn't been able to get any piloting experience!"

"But haven't you been training Orimura-san?"

"Just upping his reflexes and teaching him about the various weapons IS use. Still, if only they would've brought it in a few days earlier…"

"It can't be helped. From what I've heard, the people at Kuremoto have been having problems with the IS, something about using it as a test bed for new concepts."

"Ugh, just great…not only is Ichika going to be going into battle a bit of a newb, his IS is some kind of flawed prototype?"

"Maybe we can tweak it when it arrives?"

"I'd rather not, until we can get a complete schematic of the IS when we analyze it."

That's when a voice came over the PA, being one of the mechanics. "Seiei-san, the IS has arrived."

The hangar door opened and a truck backed in, and the mechanics on duty stepped back as it's cargo was unloaded, revealing Byakushiki in it's inactive state. After all the formal stuff was out of the way, Akira looked at Byakushiki's schematics and stared at the list, making Azumi wonder if he was alright. "Is something wrong?"

"…They weren't kidding when they said that the IS had problems. They were planning on brining it tomorrow because of the few bugs that were left. At least Doctor Arisawa gave a list of what needed to be addressed." Akira gave Azumi a hard look and frowned. "We're going to be here all night to make sure this IS works as it should, so be prepared."

"Yes, sir!"

As Azumi ran off to get to work, Akira took a look at the IS and tilted his head. "Byakushiki huh…? It maybe a new IS, but why does it feel familiar?"


End file.
